The Daily Mississippian - April 12, 2011

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12, 2011 | V

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D A I L Y

MISSISSIPPIAN

Celebrating Our Hundredth Year | The Student Newspaper

of

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M i ss i ss i p p i | S e r v i n g O l e M i ss

and

Oxford

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Student athletes honored at Rebels’ Choice Awards

BY PAUL KATOOL Sports Editor

ALEX EDWARDS | The Daily Mississippian

Former Ole Miss football player Jerrell Powe accepts the Fan Favorite award at the inaugural Rebels’ Choice Awards last night at the Ford Center. Powe is expected to be picked in the early rounds of this year’s NFL Draft.

The Ole Miss athletics department and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committte rolled out the red carpet – literally – to honor its student athletes and coaches on Monday night at the inaugural Rebels’ Choice Awards in the Ford Center.

ESPN’s Clay Matvick emceed the event that closely resembled the World Wide Leader’s Espy Awards, which honors individual and team athletic achievement each year.

Matvick opened the evening with a few jokes before getting into the awards portion of the show.

“It was a great event to be a part of,” Matvick said. “It was very professionally produced.

It had a big time feel. From the very beginning when you arrive you have the red carpet out there and people are dressed to the nines.

“People at Ole Miss know how to dress anyway. When they go to football dresses and

events, they show respect by getting the best stuff out of the closet.”

Videos were shown of each nominee, and awards were handed out by fellow student athletes and other Ole Miss personalities such as Athletics Director Pete Boone and former ASB President Virginia Burke.

There were several big winners on the evening. Lee Moore, a member of the track and field team, won both the Men’s Community Service Event and the Men’s Scholar Athlete of the Year Award.

In February the Ole Miss men’s basketball team upset eventual Final Four participant Kentucky thanks to a buzzer biting three by star point guard Chris Warren. For that shot, Warren received the award for Play of the Year and he and his teammates claimed the Game of the Year award for the victory.

“It was the first year doing it,

1911 |

w w w . t h e d mo n l i n e . com

this week M A N N I N G WAY

SPECIAL OLYMPICS Area 4 Special Olympics in Track and Field, bocce, tennis, croquet, and horseshoes are going to be held on Wednesday at Manning Way Track and Field in Oxford, MS. The Competition will have 400600 athletes and 300-400 volunteers assisting this event. Everyone is invited to attend.

Coordinator for this event is Terri Shinall (513-7846). Volunteers for the event should contact Ms. Kevs Ermine (915-1527).

Wednesday, April 13 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

inside OPINION

UNEMPLOYMENT

See AWARDS, PAGE 4

Invocation issue continues to spark debate

BY JACOB BATTE The Daily Mississippian

The March 29 resolution to end the invocation at the beginning of the Associated Student Body senate meetings was voted down, but two of the senators behind the resolution are taking it to judicial council.

The debate on the legislation, Resolution 11.6, is still ongoing.

Steven Stewart, a sophomore mechanical engineering major, said he believes changing from an invocation to a moment of silence has a good foundation, but he did not how the proposed legislation used words like “coercion” and “dominance of Christian prayer.”

“Part of my issue with the way this went about was that up until this point, I have not seen any steps leading up to, ‘Hey, I want to introduce this, I want to try this’ before going straight to, ‘I want to completely change the conversation and say that we have been coerced and misrepresented and forced to do this,’” said Stewart, who is currently serving his second semester as a senator.

“No one has volunteered to do anything different. We don’t have any rules saying that if

you’re Muslim, and you want to do a Muslim invocation, or you’re Buddhist, or that if you want to volunteer to do the invocation and say let’s have a moment of silence, that you can’t do that. There is no issue with that, and up until this point no one has ever tried to make a change.”

Stewart said that he thinks senators Dan Blazo and Asma Al-Sherri, who are leading the change, should have approached it differently.

“The way you promote diversity is by getting it out there and let everyone experience,” Stewart said. “You don’t promote diversity by saying everyone stop what you are doing and do the exact same thing every time and bottle up the way you do things on a personal note.

“So if the goal of this bill is to promote diversity, I feel the best thing is to not get rid of the invocation, something that has been done for a long time and hasn’t caused any problems.

Instead, try integrating the way that religions are interacting.”

In the case of Lee vs. Weisman, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1992 by a vote of 5-4 that including a clergy-led prayer within the events of a public high school graduation violates the Establishment

NEWS

BLACK BEAR TO COME OUT OF HIBERNATION

SPORTS

GOOD NEWS FOR KENNEDY

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ALEX EDWARDS | The Daily Mississippian

Clause of the First Amendment. On April 5, the ACLU filed suit against a Rhode Island high school for a banner that is hanging in the school’s auditorium that has a Christian prayer on it. At the University of Alabama, the student

senate does not open up with any kind of prayer or moment of silence; instead they call roll and get right to business. They will hold a moment of silence for the death of a student or if See INVOCATION, PAGE 6

OPINION O P IN I O N |

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CAROLINE LEE editor-in-chief EMILY ROLAND managing editor

JOSH CLARK

LANCE INGRAM city news editor

Cartoonist

CAIN MADDEN campus news editor AMELIA CAMURATI opinion editor EMILY CEGIELSKI lifestyles editor PAUL KATOOL sports editor ALEX EDWARDS photography editor KATIE RIDGEWAY design editor WILL GROSSENBACHER copy chief

PATRICK HOUSE business manager

GEORGE BORDELON KEATON BREWER ALEX METTE ALEX PENCE

account executives

Poncho, anyone?

BY ANGELA ROGALSKI Columnist

T H E

Voter intimidation is a serious and heinous crime.

Anyone attempting such a nefarious action should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and according to projectvote.org it carries a maximum penalty for conviction of a fine and no more than one year in prison. Because of such light punishment, voter intimidation has not been even marginally deterred by federal laws.

But a recent article that ran in newspapers across the country raises the question: Just what is the definition of voter intimidation?

According to the article, voters in one Ohio county who show their school pride at the polls next month will be asked to wear a poncho to hide any plainly-written logos. School colors will be allowed, but no names or mascot symbols. Ap-

parently there are several hotly contested tax measures on the ballot, and the county election board wishes to follow a state directive against displays of “campaign attire or paraphernalia” at polling places. It seems voters in the area are being asked to approve a hike of about $200 a year per taxpayer to fund new school buildings.

Campaigning near a polling place is prohibited, and while wearing a school shirt isn’t considered electioneering, the secretary of state’s office views it as a local issue; so basically, it’s the county’s choice.

If it’s not considered swaying the vote, why is wearing a school’s name on your shirt forbidden? Isn’t that infringement of a person’s civil liberties?

A spokesperson for the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio answered that question (partly) by saying the courts

have allowed only narrow restrictions on political speech, also commenting that officials cannot restrict it more than necessary to avoid voter intimidation.

There is that phrase again.

What constitutes voter intimidation? Projectvote.org defines it in several ways, including the commission or threat of violence as well as economic voter intimidation (where a person’s job is threatened due to voting a certain way).

It also includes several instances from the 2008 Presidential race such as police scanning of polling lines for voters with outstanding warrants and students at Virginia Tech who were told if they registered to vote in Virginia, it could affect their scholarship or tax dependency status and obligate them to change their car registration and driver’s license to their per-

D A I L Y

MISSISSIPPIAN

The Daily Mississippian is published daily Monday through Friday during the academic year.

The University of Mississippi S. Gale Denley Student Media Center 201 Bishop Hall

Contents do not represent the official opinions of the university or The Daily Mississippian unless specifically indicated.

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Letters are welcome, but may be edited for clarity, space or libel.

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manent address.

But nowhere in all those horrible and underhanded cases is wearing a school shirt with its name or mascot emblazoned on it listed.

Voting is our constitutional right, and our way of informing the government when we are pleased or displeased with some of the ludicrous candidates and ideas that they come up with. By the same token, what one might consider ludicrous, another may see as the best thing since a digitized thesaurus, hence the reason for the first amendment.

So if we peaceably express our freedoms (and one would think simply wearing a shirt would qualify as a peaceful form of expression), how can an election board mandate a poncho to cover up that articulation?

Besides, I don’t do ponchos… they make me look fat.

The Daily Mississippian welcomes all comments.

Please send a letter to the editor addressed to The Daily Mississippian, 201 Bishop Hall, University, MS, 38677 or send an e-mail to dmeditor@gmail.com.

Letters should be typed, double-spaced and no longer than 300 words. Third party letters and those bearing pseudonyms, pen names or “name withheld” will not be published. Publication is limited to one letter per individual per calendar month.

Student submissions must include grade classification and major. All submissions must be turned in at least three days in advance of date of desired publication.

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Senate to vote on Pence Amendment Thursday

BY AMELIA CAMURATI Opinion Editor

Obama and his constituents finally reached a budget compromise late Friday evening and avoided a government shutdown, but they’re not quite done meddling with money yet.

In February, the House of Representatives passed the Pence Amendment 240-185 to strip Planned Parenthood of all federal funding provided

by Title X, a program that provides grants for family planning services.

Planned Parenthood has been providing health services for almost 100 years that range from preventative measures such as contraception and safe sex education to more controversial services such as abortions.

On Thursday, they will let the Senate vote again. The last time

this was attempted in 2007, the Senate voted a similar amendment down 52-41.

Of the Title X money, Planned Parenthood gets about $70 million of the $317 million allotted, which is about 25 percent of the total.

The members in support of the Pence Amendment claim that the main objective of Planned Parenthood is to provide abortion services. Sen Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., went so far as to inform the world that abortion services account for 90 percent of their services.

It is already illegal to use federal funding for abortions, which they gladly abide by, spending it on the other services they provide, such as contraceptives, sexually transmitted illness testing and cancer screenings and prevention.

Planned Parenthood does not measure its annual numbers by monetary value but by the number of services provided. Of the 11,383,900 services provided in 2009, 332,278 were abortions.

That’s 3 percent, but you can get to 90 from that with a lot

of multiplication. I understand the confusion.

The figures for contraception, sexually transmitted infections testing and treatment, cancer screening and prevention all surpass 1 million easily, while the abortion figures can’t even match half that.

Contraception is the organization’s most utilized service, with 4,009,549 visitors in 2009, the most recent year data was available.

Planned Parenthood is not dragging pregnant women to their clinics and forcing abortions on them – they walk in willingly, looking for guidance.

Not everyone walking in the door is looking for an abortion, and not everyone walking out has had one.

Planned Parenthood does not glorify abortions, nor do they recommend them to anyone as a first option at any of its 820 clinics. The sole purpose is to help women make guided decisions that is not only in the best interest of the patient, but for everyone involved.

The loss of Planned Parent-

hood has the potential to be more harmful than hurtful.

If you give a mother of five the option between spending $65 on birth control, the average amount without insurance, or spending that money on groceries for her children, the thought wouldn’t cross her mind twice to provide her family as best as possible.

If a woman has a choice between losing her life and losing her baby, the decision won’t be easy, but it’s one that has to be made – and it’s one the workers of Planned Parenthood are trained to handle and address.

I don’t think many members of Congress studied a lot of biology in college.

Abortions are not illegal in this country, and there is no reason to bar funding from an organization trying to protect and advocate for women’s rights.

On the same day in February that the House passed the Pence Amendment, Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., got up and addressed the members of the House on her own experience

with abortion.

She discussed how her pregnancy had gone awry and that the procedure was necessary for her own safety. Not only did she disagree with the removal of funds, but the discussion as a whole.

“To think that we are here tonight debating this issue when the American people, if they are listening, are scratching their heads and wondering what does this have to do with me getting a job?” Speier said. “What does this have to do with reducing the deficit? And the answer is nothing at all.”

With organizations like Planned Parenthood providing contraceptives and testing services at little to no cost, they are helping to keep the women of America safe and give us the options we deserve.

While budget cuts are necessary to stabilize the economy, there is no one department that deserves to have all funding cut, especially when that department is a last resort weekly for more women than we have members of Congress.

you officially reside with them.

If your parents claim you on their income taxes, then you officially reside with them.

Pretty simple, actually.

If it is difficult for you to travel home to vote you can always vote by absentee ballot.

Many students take advantage of this.

Currently there are several notaries in the Martindale building that will be happy to notarize these ballots.

Letter to the Editor Editor, Commenting on Sarah Harden’s article Voting May Become Tougher in Some States.

Voting will not become tougher in some states.

Students are not going to be

denied their right to vote, but they may be required to vote where their official residents are.

OFFICIAL is the key word here. If the University considers you a non-resident of the state of Mississippi, then you

are not officially a resident of Oxford.

If you were included in your parent’s response to the census as a member of their household (the census — the culprit that now has our State officials battling over redistricting.) then

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4 . 12 . 11

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English department awards five students for creative writing

BY AVE MAYEUX The Daily Mississippian

Each spring, members of the English department award students for outstanding writing in fiction and poetry. The contest has categories for undergraduates and graduate students.

This year’s winners are Sara Parker Morris, Marlena Jarjoura, Scott Ray, Travis Blankenship and Gary Sheppard.

“The largest award is the Evans Harrington $1,500 scholarship that is given to the freshman or sophomore who shows the most promise in creative writing,” English lecturer Blair Hobbs said.

Sara Parker Morris won this award, which was named for Evans Harrington, who chaired the English Department from 1978-1987. This year the judge was Gary Short, a poetry teacher in the English Department.

Morris, the recipient of the Harrington award, is a sophomore religion major with an English minor. She has been writing since she was little.

“Stories and characters would pop up in my head, and before I could actually write, I’d just let my imagination run wild,” Morris said.

Her winning short story, “Eden,” is about how the most terrifying monsters are not the stuff of fairy tales and horror films, but could be sitting right next to us. “(Winning) felt like affirmation of my passion,” Morris said.

“It thrilled me that the stories I write don’t just appeal to me, and that I can take people into a different world effectively.”

There are two Ella Somervile awards which are given to the juniors or seniors who demonstrate the most talent in fiction and poetry. Beth Spencer, a poetry instructor in the English

Department, was the judge, and she selected Marlena Jarjoura as the poetry winner. John Brandon, who teaches fiction for the English department, selected Scott Ray as the fiction winner.

Scott Ray, an English senior, said Hemingway is one of his inspirations for writing.

“I always liked reading short stories, but I never wrote anything until I was a freshman in college,” Ray said. “I read ‘Hills Like White Elephants’ by Ernest Hemingway, and I had never read anything like it. It made me want to try writing something of my own.”

Marlena Jarjoura, a fourth year special education major, started writing a journal when she was 8 years old. She said her mother encouraged her to write and writing quickly became a creative outlet for her. Her inspirations for writing are music and life itself; however, she said she is unsure if she will write for a living.

“I want to live for a living,” Jarjoura said. “Who knows how I’ll make money. I’m a musician and lately I’ve been thinking about really concentrating on that after I graduate. And if I make my living playing music and singing my songs, I suppose I essentially will be writing for a living.”

The Bondurant Prize is presented to the graduate students who write the best fiction and poetry. Jesmyn Ward, the current Grisham Writer-in-Residence, chose Gary Sheppard as the winner for fiction, and English Professor and poet, Ann FisherWirth, selected Travis Blankenship as the winner for poetry.

Gary Sheppard completed his undergraduate degree at Mississippi College and is currently in graduate school. He said reading good fiction turned him on to writing. Sheppard said he

did not read any books in high school besides The Outsiders; however, when he got to college, he had a contemporary literature class and discovered the fun in reading, which is when he decided he wanted to write.

“I usually don’t really have an idea beforehand,” Sheppard said.

“Usually it’s like an interesting phrase or a sentence that I think sounds cool and authoritative that people are actually going to read, and I just start out with that. A broader way of saying it is an image.”

He was previously enrolled in a graduate program in writing and publishing at DePaul in Chicago when he decided he wanted more interaction with other writers. This influenced his move to Oxford.

“This is a really great town for that,” Sheppard said. “It’s a great program with great teachers.”

Sheppard is also working on writing a novel.

Blankenship could not be reached for comment.

The creative writing contest is open to all students and is publicized in the Daily Mississippian, on flyers throughout campus, the English Department’s website and posts on Ole Miss Today.

All majors are welcome to enter the contests, except for the Bondurant prize, which is awarded only to English graduate students. Interested students should contact the English department at the beginning of spring semester when contest guidelines and deadline are determined.

“I think the awards are wonderful encouragement and validation beyond the classroom,” Hobbs said. “The prizes shine spotlights on those student writers who are a major part of Ole Miss’s vast and dynamic writing community.”

AWARDS,

continued from page 1 so it’s good to bring something back the first year,” Warren said. “I thank everybody for attending.”

In between the doling out of awards, house band “Deliverance” played a slew of upbeat tunes and Jacob Hickman, a long snapper on the football team, provided the comic relief. Hickman offered both a comedy act and a spirited rendition of 80’s band Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love” that caused more than a few laughs.

Jamil Northcutt, a former

Ole Miss football player and current Assistant Athletics Director, helped to head up the event.

Northcutt said the event was all about the student athletes, and hopes that the Rebels’ Choice Awards will expand in the future.

“Yeah, I think it could be a very big event,” Northcutt said. “It’s one of those deals where it’s the first one so nobody knows what to expect.

We wanted to make sure to set the bar high.”

Rebels’ Choice Awards Winners Rookie of the Year

Coach of the Year Award

Men’s: Ricky Robertson, track Men’s: Billy Chadwick, tennis Women’s: Joe Getzin, volleyand field Women’s: Valencia McFarland, ball basketball

Community Service Award

Men’s: Lee Moore, track and field Women’s: Juliana Smith, track and field

Scholar Athletes of the Year

Men’s: Lee Moore, track and field Women’s: Gabby Rangel, tennis

Teams of the Year Men’s: tennis Women’s: tennis

Fan Favorite

Jerrell Powe, football

Game of the Year

Ole Miss basketball upsets eventual Final Four bound Kentucky.

Most Valuable Rebel

Men’s: Barnibus Kirui, track and field Women’s: Regina Thomas, volleyball

Play of the Year

Ole Miss basketball player Chris Warren’s game-winning three-point shot against Kentucky.

Hotty Toddy Award

Men’s: Tucker Vorster, tennis Women’s: Morgan Springer, volleyball GRAPHIC BY EMILY ROLAND | The Daily Mississippian

DEADLINE: THIS THURSDAY, APRIL 14TH AT 5:00PM

Do you know of an academic advisor who has shown outstanding commitment to students?

THE ACADEMIC ADVISOR NETWORK SEEKS NOMINATIONS FOR

THE EXCELLENCE IN ACADEMIC ADVISING AWARD

One faculty advisor and one professional academic advisor will receive the award. They will represent the University for the National Academic Advising Association’s Outstanding Advisor Awards and will be recognized at the 2011 Fall Faculty meeting.

Nomination forms may be picked up in 350 Martindale, the Dean’s office of each school, and online at http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/asc/index.html Nominations are due by 5 p.m. on April 14, 2011 in 350 Martindale.

Sponsored by the Office of the Provost

N E W S | 4 . 12 . 11

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Rebel the Black Bear will soon come out of hibernation

BY SARAH HARDEN The Daily Mississippian

Posters with hundreds of ideas on how to bring Rebel the Black Bear to life still line the walls of senior associate athletic director Michael Thompson’s office.

Rebel has already made two public appearances in hospitals outside of Oxford, and the black bear is set to be unveiled soon at the University of Mississippi, though Thompson would not release specifics.

Although the University has not announced a date yet, Thompson said he predicts Rebel will be seen on campus within the next few weeks.

Some students and Rebel fans are hoping to see the black bear on campus for an athletic event in the near future, including alumna Alyssa Rogers.

“I’m sad to see Colonel Reb go, but I’m looking forward to seeing the new mascot too,” Rogers said.

“Hopefully, one day, we can all love him as much as we loved Colonel Reb.” Others, admittedly, are still try-

ing to adjust to the new mascot.

“Well, I’m not very excited about the new mascot,” English junior Kelsey Craig said. “I didn’t want a new mascot, and I certainly didn’t vote for a black bear.”

Thompson said he understands that the transition will be hard for some.

“I accept that the adoption will take time for some Ole Miss fans, and that’s OK,” Thompson said. “I ask that students continue to support Ole Miss and our teams by cheering on our teams, supporting our athletes and helping to make games unforgettable. Our job, and Rebel’s job, is to make games a great experience for students and fans.”

Merchandise with the Rebel Black Bear is expected to be available for purchase this summer.

When the initial sketches of the three finalists in the new mascot selection were developed, students as well as faculty and alumni were asked to submit their opinions about each of the three.

After Rebel the Black Bear was chosen as mascot over the Rebel Landshark and Hotty Toddy, the design was sent to the Media Re-

lations department, which took charge in order to develop a marketing strategy for the bear’s first appearance.

Thompson and the marketing team behind the Rebel the Black Bear’s initial unveiling wanted to address two important concerns in bringing the mascot to the public.

“Emotionally connecting with children and positively impacting our communities are the top priorities,” Thompson said.

So, when the team decided it was time for Rebel to make his first appearance, Thompson said he and his crew chose to take the black bear where he could leave a positive impression on children, as well as the community. The team picked the Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital in Jackson, which Thompson said met his priorities and welcomed Rebel’s debut by allowing him to spend time and take pictures with patients at the hospital last Tuesday, April 5.

On Wednesday, Rebel headed to Memphis to spend time with patients at Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Hospital for “Sports Day.”

COURTESY OF UM ATHLETICS

Rebel, the Black Bear made his first appearance at two children’s hospitals last week. Rebel visited Blair E. Batson Hospital for children in Jackson, and Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis.

Oxford slaps ban on synthetic cocaine

BY LUKE TAYLOR The Daily Mississippian

The Oxford Board of Aldermen passed a proposed ordinance last week that prohibits the use, purchase, possession, distribution, sale or offering for sale of synthetic cocaine.

The city’s ordinance is just a small addition to what the state has already done to combat the spread of synthetic drugs. In August 2010, Mississippi became one of at least 20 states that made the selling and possession of known

synthetic drugs illegal.

Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Unit Captain Keith Davis said users of synthetic drugs have been found in the Oxford area and on the University of Mississippi campus.

Since the statewide ban has been in place, there have been at least three arrests made in Oxford for the alleged sale of the banned synthetic substances.

“Anytime we find anything like this in the area we treat it as a big problem,” Davis said.

Last year, fake marijuana brands

labeled as “K2” or “Spice” were top sellers in the U.S. This year, some synthetic drugs are being passed off as bath salts with names such as “Purple Wave” and “Bliss.”

Products such as “Spice” have been seen in several tobacco and convenience stores around Oxford in the past and could be bought at cheap prices ranging from $10 to $28 depending on the amount purchased.

Another problem narcotics officials are facing with synthetic drugs is that they have been shown to be untraceable in com-

mon drug tests.

According to analysis by the American Association of Poison Control Centers, at least 2,700 people nationwide have fallen ill due to use of synthetic drugs since January, compared with fewer than 3,200 cases in all of 2010.

If the numbers continue to grow at the current rate, medical emergencies related to synthetic drugs could go up nearly fivefold by the end of the year.

“Many of the users describe extreme paranoia,” Dr. Mark Ryan, director of the Louisiana Poison

Center, said in an AP article. “The recurring theme is monsters, demons and aliens. A lot of them had suicidal thoughts.”

In January, a Fulton man used a hunting knife to slit his face and stomach after he experienced hallucinations from taking bath salts.

“This stuff is dangerous and you have no idea what kind of reaction your body could have when used, so we want to try to go ahead and get it off the shelves so people won’t even think about trying it,” Mike Martin, Oxford Police Chief, said in a previous interview.

ΣΧ Derby Days 2011 Sigma Chi would like to thank the following sororities for their outstanding participation in this year’s Derby Days. In the past week, they helped raise over $40,000 and donate an estimated 730 units of blood. Without y’all, Derby Days would not be possible.

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INVOCATION, continued from page 1

there is a national tragedy.

While some of the other senators have been in favor of the idea of separation of church and state, Stewart pointed out that nowhere in the Constitution can you find those words. He said that trying to remove religion from anything is like “removing your arm and leg and trying to keep on living.”

“Religion is part of who you are. You grow up with it; it helps you build your morals,” Stewart said. “It’s impossible to completely cut out religion from what you do.”

Stewart also notes that the concept of the invocation is not to worship, but to ask a higher power for guidance in helping the senate make decisions.

Ryan Cook, a junior Chinese major, said he believes that the

moment of silence is a better way to represent the University.

“At a fundamental level it is more inclusive by nature,” Cook said. “I don’t think anyone would be surprised if the majority of people on this campus are Christian. But at the same time, offering up a moment of silence and not implicitly invoking the Christian God, all you are doing is including more people.

This is a really diverse campus, we have students from over 200 nations here, and how are you going to pray to the Christian God every week but claim to represent everyone?

“As an atheist, I know that I would have a hard time listening to a Christian prayer week in and week out, and I have a hard time believing that if the senate was filled with a bunch

of people who believed in Hinduism, that Christians would be OK with a Hindu prayer every week.”

In a previous article, Chelsea Ratcliff, a theater arts major, said that as a Jew it was uncomfortable having to stand and listen to a prayer.

James Robertson, a junior political science major, points to the Bill of Rights as a reason for why he believes that the invocation should be changed.

“There has been a lot of talk about how majorities rule, and how we’re a democracy and the majority should determine these things,” Robertson, a Southern Baptist, said. “And I think that completely misunderstands the point that the United States is a constitutional republic and the Bill of Rights is not there

to protect the majority. The minority also needs protection, and that’s why the Bill of Rights is there. That’s why the Constitution says that there shouldn’t be a government-established religion. And as a public university, a prayer of any sort before meetings has no place, especially in the student body.”

Robertson, who likens the majorities-rule argument to the one for keeping schools segregated back in the Jim Crow days, said that everything the ASB does is a representation of the University.

“There is a reason that the University does not have an invocation before football games, or before graduation ceremony, or any other University-sponsored events,” Robertson said.

“The ASB is an arm of this

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University, and they represent a very diverse student body. All of them cannot feel comfortable with a certain religion.”

Former ASB attorney general Brandon Irvine said he has been against the change from the start, saying that the proposal is not being done “in the right way, or for the right reasons,” comparing senators Blazo and Al-Sherri to the peasant at the beginning of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” who screams, “Help! Help! I’m being oppressed!”

“The entire goal of the debate in the Senate two weeks ago was so that he (Sen. Blazo) would have an excuse to take it to the judicial council and probably the courts,” Irvine said.

“Because he’s a radical, and he hates the traditions of America more than the Save Colonel Reb people say Dan Jones and Pete Boone hate the traditions of Ole Miss. He’s not being oppressed, he just wants people to think he is so that he can continue his quest for enforced equality.”

Irvine acknowledged that week after week the invocation is a Christian prayer, but said that is just a “consequence of the membership of the student body,” and that it “is no right to abolish the invocation.”

Students are given the opportunity each week to volunteer to do the invocation. The senate has a sign-up sheet that is available to all of the senators.

Senators are allowed to give whatever kind of invocation that they please, whether Jewish, Christian, Hindu or a moment of silence.

“Both Senators in question know this, because Sen. Blazo gave the invocation this past fall, and instead of offering a prayer, read aloud the UM Creed,” Irvine said.

“Secondly, replacing the invocation with a moment of silence just doesn’t sit right with me. A moment of silence is for honoring victims of tragedies, and should be a rare occurrence, reserved for moments of special solemnity, not weekly ‘Oh, you can’t pray, so shut up for 30 seconds and reflect.’”

Blazo said that he did get up and read the creed aloud, and that he also offered a moment of silence, for which he said he was told was “offensive, inappropriate and un-called for.”

Blazo and Al-Sherri said they are going to do everything that they can to keep the issue going.

Blazo said that they have sent out a lot of emails to groups including the Freedom from Religion Foundation and the American Civil Liberties Union.

“I think we have a very good chance of getting the invocation overturned because we have the law on our side,” Blazo said.

LIFESTYLES L IF ES T Y L ES |

4 . 12 . 11

| T H E DA ILY M I S S I S S IP P I A N | PAG E 7

What is GYT?

BY KHALEAH EVANS The Daily Mississippian

The month of April is associated with many things.

It is the month where the spring season becomes most evident, the month that hosts the Easter holiday and to most college students, it is the last full month of school before the much-anticipated summer break.

One thing not often associated with the month, however, is STD awareness.

April is National STD Awareness Month and aims to break taboos surrounding STDs while encouraging social awareness.

The topic is often avoided. Everyone knows that it is there, but no one wants to talk about it. But why?

If we can talk about sex, whom we are having sex with and how many people we have had sex with, then why not talk about the different diseases and infections you can get if you do not take the right precautions?

We are residents of Mississippi for at least nine months out of a year, so it is good to know where we stand as a state on the STD roll call.

According to the Center for Disease Control, Mississippi is ranked number one out of all 50 states in reported chlamydia and gonorrhea cases.

If this is not shocking enough, 19 million new STD infections are reported every year — half of these new cases happening to young people between the ages of 15 and 24.

“As far as students’ knowledge of STDs goes, I think they are very aware of them,” sophomore mechanical engineering major Joseph McLaurin said.

“They just don’t take it into consideration when it comes to the safety of their body.”

With all these STDs going around, how do we protect ourselves from becoming another statistic?

One way is abstinence, but since this option is not seen as practical for some people our age, there is an even simpler solution.

The letters G.Y.T.: Get Yourself Tested.

G.Y.T. is a national campaign created by the CDC, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Kaiser Family Foundation and MTV to encourage young people to get tested for STDs and HIV. The campaign was created due to the fact that one in every two young people will contract a sexually transmitted disease by the time they are 25, most of whom will not even know they have it.

“STDs only happen to promiscuous people.”

“A condom will protect me.” ”You cannot get an STD from anal or oral sex.”

“I’m not showing any symptoms of an STD, so I don’t have one.”

All of these statements are false.

STDs do not discriminate against gender, race, sexual orientation or how promiscuous you are or are not.

The fact of the matter is anyone, anywhere, at anytime can have an STD. Condoms are not 100 percent effective when it comes to the prevention of STDs. Yes, they do reduce the likelihood of spreading an STD, but condoms only protect the area that is covered. Areas not covered by a condom can come in contact with STDs, and you can pick up or spread them through skin-to-skin contact.

Ninety percent of people carrying an STD show no symptoms at all.

In fact, consider yourself lucky if you experience abnormal dis-

charge or a burning sensation when you pee. You have the pleasure of knowing something is not quite right “down there.”

For the other 90 percent of those who may be carrying an STD, the only way to know for sure is to G.Y.T. “(Most) students have the perception that they cannot contract an STD,” Barbara Collier, director of University Health Services at UM, said.

“I believe that everyone should be tested (for STDs and HIV), but first and foremost, students must learn not to put themselves at risk; it is not enough to find out that you have something. You want to keep yourself from getting it.”

Say you have gotten tested and discovered that you do have an See GYT, PAGE 8

ALEX EDWARDS | The Daily Mississippian

Taylor McGraw was sworn into office as the new ASB president, yesterday by outgoing President, Virginia Burke. McGraw’s goals while in office include the addition of a smoothie bar, and giving scantrons to students for no charge.

LIFESTYLES L IF ES T Y L ES |

4 . 12 . 11

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ALEX EDWARDS | The Daily Mississippian

Students huddle under the cover of the Lyceum as rain fell yesterday afternoon. It was common to see students running across campus while the approximate 1/3 inch of rain fell during the afternoon hours in the Oxford area.

GYT,

continued from page 7

STD. Stay calm because you have just performed the hardest and most crucial part — getting tested.

Luckily, many STDs can be cured.

STDs are divided into two categories: bacterial-based, which include chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis, and viral-based, which include Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), herpes, Hepatitis B and Human Papillomavirus (HPV).

Bacterial STDs can be cured easily through a round of antibiotics,

but viral STDs are not that easy.

Viral STDs cannot be cured and can stay dormant in the body and flare up at anytime.

Medications can be provided to keep these flare-ups under control and alleviate some symptoms.

Another incentive to G.Y.T. is that the early detection of STDs can prevent serious health complications later on in life such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), infertility in both men and women, or even death.

Of course, the greatest satisfac-

tion in being tested is knowing if you have an STD or not.

So, how exactly do you G.Y.T.?

It’s simple, you just ask.

For some people, asking for help can be difficult.

When you go to your family doctor, your doctor is not going to say “Hey, you want to get yourself tested for STDs and HIV today?”

Most doctors do not perform STD tests with your routine physical unless you actually ask them.

There are several ways to G.Y.T. if you are not exactly keen on people

probing between your legs.

A simple cheek swab can be used to test for HIV. You can also opt to give a blood test or a urine sample, which will check for chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis.

The best testing though, is a physical examination specifically for STDs. The physical exam for a male consists of a urethral swab and for a female, a vaginal exam and maybe a pap smear.

There are also plenty of places to G.Y.T.

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Your family doctor is probably the most obvious choice, but you can also get yourself tested at a local clinic or at the Student Health Center on campus.

All of this information can seem overwhelming (and maybe even a bit frightening), but it is valuable and definitely for your benefit.

“Be responsible and do the right thing,” sophomore biology pre-med major Ashley Patterson said.

“If you’re grown enough to have sex, you should be grown enough to go get tested.”

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| T H E DA ILY M I S S I S S IP P I A N | PAG E 9

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Manny Ramirez makes his exit

BY ANDREW DICKSON Columnist

From his World Series MVP performance in 2004 to his lifetime totals of 555 home runs and 1,831 RBIs, we’ve always known that Manny Ramirez could hit.

Now we’re seeing just how well he can run.

In 2009, Jose Canseco, the self-proclaimed “Godfather of Steroids,” said he was “90 percent certain” that Manny Ramirez was one of the 104 MLB players who tested positive for steroids in 2003.

That year, Ramirez was reported to have violated the league’s drug policy and, after dropping his appeal, served a 50-game suspension while with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Just last week sources told ESPN.com that Ramirez, now with the Tampa Bay Rays, tested positive for a performanceenhancing drugs during spring training and informed the league that he would rather walk away from baseball than serve his mandatory 100-game suspension.

Though I’m still deciding whether or not this world — a world where Jose Canseco is consistently correct — is one I’d like to live in, Ramirez has his mind made up that his Hall of Fame-worthy statistics and a couple of tainted drug tests are enough of a contribution to the game of baseball.

“I’m at ease,” Ramirez told ESPNDeportes.com last week.

“God knows what’s best for me; I’m now an officially retired baseball player. I’ll be going away on a trip to Spain with my old man.”

Ramirez’s jilting of the Tampa Bay organization has been anything but a vacation for

those left behind, however.

Rays’ vice president Andrew Friedman, who signed Ramirez to a one year, $2 million contract last offseason told ESPN, “We were obviously surprised when we found out about it and hurt by what transpired.

We were cautiously optimistic that he would be a force for us.”

Rays’ manager Joe Madden expressed disappointment when questioned about Ramirez’s retirement by ESPN but said Ramirez has the right to make up his own mind: “Of course you’re disappointed; it’s a choice he has to make.”

Other than its statement last week (which simply said the league had notified Ramirez of “an issue” concerning the MLB Drug Prevention and Treatment Program and that he had decided to retire), Major League Baseball said it would have no further comment.

Further commentary will be left to the fans and sportswrit-

ers who will play the largest part in putting athletes in their place in history.

The Baseball Hall of Fame, which players are elected to either by the Baseball Writers Association of America or the Veterans Committee, has had plenty of time to consider the “Steroid Era” and its repercussions in the last decade or so.

The current treatment of Mark McGwire by Hall voters leads me to believe that players tainted by the perception of performance-enhancing drug use will have a difficult time ever making it into Cooperstown. Other players such as Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds and Manny Ramirez will share the burden of allegedly being involved in steroid use and the stigma that comes with it.

The case many make for the Hall of Fame revolves around statistics and writers blackballing alleged steroid users who claim that they simply cannot

trust their stats.

They argue further that the foundation of sport lies in the premise of fair play, and anything or anyone that endangers a level playing field should be removed immediately.

True, steroids may not help your timing or pitch recognition, but they turn the occasional long out into a long ball and work wonders for those recovering from injuries or trying to avoid fatigue, and perhaps elevate a player from being “very good” to being “Hall of Fame-worthy.”

If history is any indication (see: McGwire and Pete Rose), players who draw the ire of baseball fans will not sniff Cooperstown anytime soon, if ever.

I’m of the opinion that, if you used steroids to help build your legacy, it’s only fitting that steroids become a large part of it.

Reputations are earned, after all.

Palmer Cup along with David Chung, Scott Langley and Russell Henley, who are ranked second, third and fourth respectively in the nation, according to Amateurgolf.com.

Randolph said that he was paired at the Palmer Cup with another player from the States.

He teamed up with David Chung, who played in the Masters this past week.

Randolph has been busy since then.

In fall 2010, Randolph had

four top-20 finishes, two top10 finishes, one top-5 finish and was ranked No. 4 in the Southeastern Conference.

“I had a really good season,” Randolph said. “Week in, week out you have to play really good to win. I knew that coming into this season, and I’ve just been working trying to step up to the next level.”

This season Randolph has played consistently, as he has led the Rebels in every event he has played in. Just last week he finished fifth in his last home

tournament.

Randolph is a First Team AllSEC selection and was named First Team All-American, the ninth in the history of the Ole Miss program.

His academic record is just as stellar as his golf record.

Randolph made the SEC Academic Honor Roll, UMAA Honor Roll and the Dean’s Honor Roll.

Even with his success, Randolph still believes there’s work to be done.

“There’s a lot of golf left,”

Randolph said.

“I’m going out with the full intention of carrying my momentum and getting a win. I’m not going out there to have a fun last couple of tournaments.”

The SEC tournament begins this weekend and Randolph said he feels good about the Rebels’ chances.

“We finished second last year at SEC,” Randolph said.

“We’ve got big shoes to fill, and I want a ring before I get out of here.”

PRO,

continued from page 12

way to get everything kick started.”

It certainly did.

That summer he also played for the winning team in the Palmer Cup. The Palmer Cup, which is the equivalent of the Ryder Cup for college golfers, is played in Northern Ireland.

The Cup pits the top European collegiate players against the best from America.

“We actually beat them on their home turf,” Randolph said. “It was pretty cool.”

Randolph was chosen for the

get your morning fix

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OLE MISS SPORTS INFORMATION

Pinkins, Holloway to join Ole Miss basketball program, Armstrong promoted

ADDISON DENT | The Daily Mississippian

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Head coach Andy Kennedy strengthened his Ole Miss basketball program Monday by adding a new staff member, promoting another and signing a familiar player.

It was announced today that former Middle Tennessee assistant coach Al Pinkins has accepted that same post for the Rebels, while Bill Armstrong has been elevated from Ole Miss’ coordinator of operations to assistant coach. In addition, former Rebel forward Murphy Holloway has transferred back to Ole Miss after a year at South Carolina.

Considered one of the rising coaches in the profession, Pinkins comes to Oxford after eight seasons with the Blue Raiders. He was involved in all aspects of the MTSU program, particularly recruiting throughout the South and developing the post players.

Pinkins was instrumental in the development of two-time, first-team, All-Sun Belt Conference forward Desmond Yates, who reached the 1,000-point club as a junior. Pinkins also helped develop 6-foot-10 center Theryn Hudson into one of Middle Tennessee’s all-time leaders in field goal percentage and tops in the Sun Belt in 2007-08.

A former player at N.C. State (1994-97), Pinkins has helped shape the Blue Raiders’ recent success in recruiting. He played a key role in landing a 2007 signing class rated No. 1 in the Sun Belt and No. 48 nationally

by HoopScoop. The class also

said Kennedy. “As our operations director over the past five seasons, Bill has been my righthand man. He deserves this opportunity.”

Holloway is back in the red and blue after spending the 2010-11 season closer to his family in South Carolina. As a transfer, he sat out the year for the Gamecocks and redshirted.

Holloway started 30 of 34 games for the Rebels in his sophomore campaign in 2009-10, averaging 10.1 points and a teamhigh 7.6 rebounds per contest.

The 6-foot-7, 230-pound native of Irmo, S.C., ranked fifth in the SEC in rebounding and eighth in steals (1.5/game). He finished sixth among league players with eight double-doubles.

In two seasons at Ole Miss, Holloway amassed 606 career points, 464 rebounds, 86 steals and 33 blocks. He played in 65 games with 47 starts.

“When Murph informed me of his need to go home and take care of his personal responsibilities last year, I supported his decision,” Kennedy said. “When he then asked me to come back and join our program after his family situation had improved, I welcomed him back with open arms. We look forward to seeing him back in an Ole Miss uniform.”

Pinkston and Armstrong fill coaching positions left vacant by Michael White, who was named head coach at Louisiana Tech, and Torrey Ward, who is pursuing other coaching opportunities.

Randolph to soon realize dream of going pro

BY KAITLYN DUBOSE The Daily Mississippian

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was rated the 13th-best among mid-majors nationally by Rivals. com.

“We are excited to announce that Al has joined our staff,” Kennedy said. “After working with (head coach) Kermit Davis at MTSU for the past eight seasons, he comes highly recommended. From recruiting to the development of our post players, Al will be an immediate asset to our program.”

Armstrong returns to the bench after successfully serving as coordinator of operations for Kennedy’s first five years at Ole Miss, which included two SEC Western Division titles and a pair of NIT Final Four berths.

Before his arrival in Oxford, Armstrong spent three years as an assistant coach at Birmingham-Southern. In his first season with the Panthers in 2003-04 — BSC’s first season of full NCAA eligibility — Armstrong helped the team to a 20-7 record and a 12-4 mark in conference play, earning a share of the Big South regular-season championship.

Birmingham-Southern posted a 19-9 finish in his final year.

A four-year lettermen (19982001) and graduate assistant (2001-02) at UAB, Armstrong earned his first full-time coaching position as an assistant at Chipola Junior College in Marianna, Fla. He helped lead the Indians to a 23-9 record and a second-place finish in the Panhandle Conference in 2002-03.

“I have known Bill for over 20 years and have seen his continued development as a coach,”

ing pro.

The Brandon native has had a nice run during his career at Ole Miss, but things really began to pick up for him last summer when he finished second in the Mississippi State Amateur Tournament.

“That was a lot of fun,” Randolph said.

“That was at the beginning of the summer; it was a good

Ever since his days in junior golf, Ole Miss Rebel Jonathan Randolph has dreamed of playing in the pros.

Randolph will soon reach that goal.

The senior financial business major has been playing golf at Ole Miss for four years, and this fall Randolph plans on go- See PRO, PAGE 11

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